Tiptoe round my heart
by Linda-previouslyMissyMaura
Summary: THIRD CHAPTER UP! Sequel to 'wish upon a star'.
1. Default Chapter

**Hiya guys, this is the sequel to 'Wish upon a star'. Hope you like it. Just to say- Roan is 14, Annia is 8.**

**All is well in the Carter household. Or is it...?**

"Mom, I'm home!" Roan yelled, slamming the front door and kicking off his sneakers.

"Roan, would you shut up please. Your sister is sick!" Abby's angry face appeared round the sitting room door, scowling. Roan rolled his eyes and purposely placed his bag on the floor so it didn't make a sound. "Stop being smart young man! I'm worn out and I don't feel like this tonight."

"Whatdidido?" He moaned, quietly but stopped when his mother's head reappeared and scowled fiercely. "When's dad home?"

"Around 6 he said."

"So he'll get home about 8ish then?" For once Abby stopped frowning and nodded.

"Will you get Anni a glass of juice please? I have to cook dinner, we're having cannelloni." Roan got two glasses and poured out some apple juice into each before grabbing the cookie jar and retreating to the living room. His sister was spread out on the couch, watching TV.

"I know you're faking Anni."

"Am not!" She squealed, rather too loud. "I do feel ill."

"Well here's your juice." He handed her the glass and began chewing on a cookie. He sensed her looking at him and turned. "What? I thought you were _ill_."

"Well, yeah I am but I'm hungry."

"Seems to me you have _Fakeristis Influenzarara._ No cookies for you I'm afraid. Just bread and water."

"Moooooooom! Roan's teasing me and I'm sick!"

"Squinny." He hissed under his breath, turning back to the cartoons on the TV set.

"Roan, I thought I told you; I do not need you and your sister fighting whilst I'm cooking dinner and trying to keep this place just above dysentery level." They responded with blank looks. "A bad disease- so just chill guys please." She returned to the kitchen and the kids kept their fighting below their mother's hearing.

------------------------------------------------

"Where's your father?" Abby picked up the phone for the 5th time in 10 minutes and looked at the screen.

"Dunno." Roan answered.

"Maybe he got caught in traffic."

"Maybe he's screwing a nurse."

"Don't you **_ever_** say that sort of thing about your father Roan!" Abby yelled.

"Why? It's true. We all know he's never home, he always late if he does come home. If his phone rings he jumps like someone bit him and do you remember that phone call at 10pm from some woman asking for _John_ Carter. No one calls him John." Abby bit her lip as tears welled in her eyes. "Look I'm sorry mom but there all facts."

"I know. But I never thought he of all people would be the kind to cheat." She sniffed softly.

"Mommy, why are you crying?" Annia stepped out of the shadow of the doorway. She had been asleep for the last 2 hours but had got up for a drink and heard her mom talking. "Has daddy done something bad?"

"No sweetie, he hasn't."

"What's 'screwing'?" Abby looked at Roan with wide eyes.

"Nothing sweetie. It's nothing." Annia crept in the door and settled herself on her mother's lap, curling up her legs and yawning.

"Will daddy be home for my birthday party?"

"Yeah, he will sis." Roan said. "He knows it's at 4pm tomorrow and he even showed me the present he got you."

"Good. He missed your birthday, I don't want him to miss mine." Abby looked over her daughter's head motioned to Roan's cell phone.

"Text him." She mouthed. Roan shrugged and picked up the phone. Tapping the message out, he heard his mom stand up and quietly return Anni to her room.

"Hi dad, where are you? Just to remind you that Anni's party is at 4pm tomorrow. Be there, don't let her down like you did to me. Roan." Send.

--------------------------


	2. what's screwing

**Hiya guys, thats for all the nice reviews for the first part of this-It means a lot to me! Hope you like this bit. I researched so anything in this should be medically true unless the internet is wrong again! Hehe. Enjoy and pleeeeeeeease R&R. Thanks x-x**

-----------------------------------------------------------

Carter pushed open the door to Ike's and walked in. Immediately spotting the person he was looking for, he strolled over smiling.

"Hiya Ruby, how are you?"

"John. I'm good. And you? How was work?" the blonde's lips parted in a wide smile.

"It was fine. Tough- we had two 12 year old gang bangers but nothing too heavy." He sat down and waved over the waitress. "Two coffee's please."

Over the other side of the restaurant Luka returned from the men's room.

"Luka, is that Carter over there?" Sam whispered, peering down the restaurant.

"I think so."

"Who's that woman?" Luka shrugged and looked again. "It's not Abby. I've never seen her before." Sam frowned then sighed.

"I s'pose we better be getting back. I don't know how long Alex can keep Joey in bed for and if Beth wakes up it'll be hell." They stood up and left, not without taking one last glimpse at their friend and his companion.

---------------------------------------------

"Roan...Roan...ROAN!"

"What?" He sat bolt upright in his bed and peered towards the door. "Anni!"

"Ro, I'm scared. It's 2 o'clock and daddy aint home." She crept over to the bed and slid in.

"There's no reason to be scared. Maybe he's pulling a double and forgot to call."

"Maybe he's dead." She whispered.

"No Anni, he's not dead. I assure you, dad is perfectly alive."

"How can you be sure?"

"Cos...I do."

"Ro, what does screwing mean?" Her face turned towards him.

"It's not a nice word, so don't use it or tell mom you know what it means but it's a horrible word people use if someone is sleeping with someone else. Sex."

"Oh. Yuck, that's bad. Why is daddy sleeping with a nurse?"

"He's not. I was joking."

"You didn't sound like you was joking. You was serious before." Anni rolled over and searched her brother's face. "Sometimes I wish mommy and daddy weren't doctors. They're always tired and I never see daddy anymore."

"I know sis, I feel the same. But that's the way things go- people need fixing and mom and dad are the ones to do it." Anni sighed and settled down. Roan wrapped his arms around her and listened as she fell asleep, knowing he wouldn't dream tonight.

-------------------Roan's POV------------------------------

From the moment I woke up this morning I knew it was gonna be a bad day. Firstly, dad's shoes and coat weren't in the hall and mom had red eyes. Secondly, the nausea is back and I had to keep my vomiting noise down so mom didn't hear. She'd only fuss me and I know it's just flu- I'm always the first to catch something at school.

I feel bad for Anni. She's only 8, she doesn't realise the possibility that our father- Mr Clean of Chicago- is having an affair. And if she did know, she wouldn't understand the implications.

Sometimes I wish I was little again, so little that I could just curl up on mom's lap and fall asleep sucking my thumb with my penguin under one arm. Then I wouldn't have to face mom every morning, sniffling over the cornflakes. She's working more and more nowadays, to keep her mind off dad's 'extra curricular activities'. I don't mind cos I usually get to stay at Susan and Chuck's which is cool if Leon Taggart is staying too. He's about 3 months younger than me but we're in the same classes at school, and he's one of the best friends. His parents work with mine, his step dad Luka is a doctor and his mom Sam is a nurse. He's got an older brother Alex who's 24 and two younger sister- Joey and Beth. If I don't stay with Susan and Chuck, I stay with the Taggart's. I love staying at both places, but if I had the choice I wish I was at home with a set of parents that are happy.

I'm a bit worried that my flu has lasted this long but maybe I haven't been able to fight it off since I'm tired. That's probably the reason. I was going to ask mom if I could go to the hospital to be checked but that was the day Maggie rang so I decided to leave it.

Maggie is my grandmother- Mom's mom- but I've always called her Maggie. We don't see her a lot cos she lives in Florida with Uncle Eric and his wife Juliette and his three kids Ben, Freya and Bianca. We sometimes see them at Christmas but since Ben's 12 he tries to hang with me, which sucks and Freya and Bianca are 8 but Anni hates them cos they take all her toys and lock her out of her own room and stuff. So, generally we don't like the Christmases when they're down.

I hate all this stuff about dad and the affair. I hate the way I'm left to look out for mom and Anni; I hate the way I don't get to see my own father anymore. I kinda feel left out, like they don't have time for me anymore.

That's why I've started hanging with Jason and the other guys. They're all 18 and left school, they can all drive and they go out drinking most nights. And they've asked _me_ to go with them! I said yes of course, like I'd pass a chance like that up because mom said I can't. She never notices if I'm gone til 1am, sometimes I wonder if she cares where I am. The only person who knows I'm gone is Anni and she won't tell. She's taken to coming into my room at about 11pm every night and talking about dad, and how she misses him. That's when I get angry at my parents; their 8 year old daughter can't sleep at night for worrying about her father and then she's too scared to speak to her mother cos Anni hates to see mom cry. I wonder what would happen if I wasn't here.

--------------------------------------------------


	3. The Test

**Sorry for the delay- writers block has actually made this fic grind to a halt. Hope this chapter delivers all you want but I appreciate constructive critism so if you feel I could improve on something, you only need say.**

**So, I hope you like this chapter and sorry for the wait. R&R! Love ya's xxxx**

* * *

"Carter, how are you?" Luka approached his friend, smiling.

"Erm…I'm fine. Yeah, you?"

"I'm fine. Leon told me today he's got detention for not giving in a piece of homework, so he'd be late home. I'm still angry, but he said Roan's got more detentions than him; not sure how that's meant to make me feel better." He shrugged. "Do you have to go to speak to the teacher tomorrow?" Carter jerked from his thoughts and stared at Luka. "Well? Do you, cos Sam's freaking out."

"Erm…yeah. Yeah, we're going. Abby isn't happy." Carter blushed, thanking G-d that the lights were dim and Luka was facing the opposite way. He had no idea what Roan had been getting up to, whether he had detentions or chats with teachers. He hadn't been home long enough his morning to even grab breakfast let alone ask his kids what they were doing. Seeing Abby had freaked him out- all red eyed and blotchy. Maybe she had begun to see through the claims he was on another night shift.

"Come on then, let's get out there. I think the first snow of winter drives all the crazies to our doors!" Luka sidled out leaving Carter by his locker, lost in thought.

----------------------------------------------------

Anni sat down at her desk and pulled out her English book, opening it to the last used page. The work she had spent an hour on two nights before had large red writing on.

'_SEE ME'_

"Oh bad luck shrimp." Nina leant over Anni's shoulder and sneered. "Maybe your head is too small to fit a brain in."

Everyone teased her; about her height, her lack of coordination when playing sports, her nervousness around adults and older people. The only thing she was good at was drawing and she regularly got told off for drawing too much.

"Annia Carter, can you come here." Her teacher beckoned and she began the long walk to her desk, right at the front of the classroom. Tommy stuck his foot out and tried to trip her but she was used to this trick and stepped over it. Roberto spit balled her and Cloe whispered swear words as she passed her desk.

"How long did you spend on this work?" Ms Clark pointed to the book in Anni's hands. "2 minutes?"

"I spent…"

"Shhh. Now, I want you to go to the principal. He has a test for you."

"What? I don't want to take a test."

"Annia, you do not have a choice. It's for your own good. Now go, he's waiting." Anni scuttled back to her desk and picked up her bag. Not caring that Nina had taken her pen again she hurried towards the door. Suddenly she went flying.

"Mind my foot." Tommy said, mid-giggle.

"Annia, stop distracting the others please." She picked herself up and ran out the door, not wanting them to see the tears in her eyes.

"I'm…here to…see Mr…Thomas." She gulped to the receptionist.

"Annia Carter? Sit down. Are you okay?"

"Yes. Thanks." She sat down in a squashy chair opposite the principal's door and waited. The principal appeared quickly.

"Annia? This way. Now, your teacher Ms Clark has alerted me to a few problems in your writing…"

"I spent an hour on my homework cos mommy said I had to otherwise I couldn't watch Barney. So I did." She said.

"Okay, but we noticed a lot of your words were…mixed up. Your letters were a bit jumbled and so we'd like you to take a dyslexia test. It's not hard, it will only take about 20 minutes and I'll be here but I can't help you." He smiled. "Now, sit down here and don't panic. It's easy."

"I don't have a pen." He handed her one. Anni gripped the plastic like a lifejacket and opened the paper.

--------------------------------------------------------


End file.
